Good Samaritan ( Sloth x Reader )
by Immortal-indolence
Summary: You've worked in conditions like this before- it was no problem. Northerners like you could tough it out. But you've never dealt with something so strange, you didn't know what you were getting yourself into. Military conspiracies, Artificial humans, an impending and unavoidable countrywide apocalypse. Might as well make the best of it.
1. On-Time Delivery

It was a late night working- A blizzard had begun to rage, but you still had time to make that delivery. To the Briggs fortress, you were taking a shipment of supplies- lantern oil, rations, some smaller comforts for the soldiers. Your sled could carry plenty, and you stacked as much as you could fit onto its platform before heading out to deliver.

It was dark, cold. Even from under layers of wool and fur you could feel the bite of winter cut through. Your lantern lit the way, although the snow was falling heavier and heavier, making it hard to see. You've worked in conditions like this before- it was no problem. Northerners like you could tough it out and get work done in these conditions, but that didn't stop it from being difficult.

The dogs were even antsy- you offered pieces of dried meat and dusted the snow off their faces, apologizing for making them work tonight. When they were all harnessed to the sled, you set out to the Northern Wall, cargo in tow.

It felt lonely- being out in the near-black snowscape. No one around, just you and the dogsled. You hoped the wolves would stay away. All you wanted was for this to be a quick trip, so you could go back home and warm up by the fire. The sound of snow pelting the earth below and the rattling of your shipment as the dogs pulled you along kept distracting you- you shook if off and took the reins, urging them to go faster. You could see the lights of the fortress on the horizon- you didn't have much further to go.

Once you neared the isolated base, you noticed something was off. It seemed less busy than usual- there was no guard at the 1 mile checkpoint. Not even footprints in the snow. Were they on lockdown? That would be extremely inconvenient. You did NOT just make this trip, as scheduled, just for them not to let you in to deliver the cargo. Damned if you had to deliver it a second time- you'd leave it at their front gates if you had to.

The great iron wall between mountains had grown in size as you made the final stretch, looming above, so tall that the top of is disappeared in the heavy snowfall- but you could see the faint glow of the lights on the top floor, that meekly illuminated the dunes of snow below. It was enough light to cast a shadow on something that was lodged in the snow at the foot of the fortress- perhaps that was the shipment reception? The closer and closer you got, however, made it obvious this was not the case. No- that thing in the snow... that was a single person. Face down, more likely than not, dead.

Your heart sank, dread filled your gut. You could tell something was wrong earlier, but now that you're here, you aren't sure you want to know exactly what. Pulling up to the assumed corpse, you stopped and stared in horror and concern. You've seen bodies before- you had tough skin and a strong stomach, but you were still somehow unsettled like you haven't been for ages. The thing was huge- it looked human, but its sheer size told you it couldn't possibly be. It was also so covered in snow and ice that you couldn't really make out any features. You looked a few meters ahead towards the entrance to the fort. It was dark, abandoned. No one standing out watching.

Nervously, you dismounted yourself from the sled to go up to the gate and beat on the iron door- although part of you didn't want them to answer. There was a dead body on their doorstep and you don't know whether or not you were supposed to see that- and what might happen to you if they find out you did. After a tense minute of standing out in the snow, you realized that they weren't going to answer you. It was somewhat of a relief- you did your part, so it's no fault of your own, and you get to walk away.

For some reason you found it difficult to turn around. There was a body, frozen to death in the snow, right behind you. A towering fortress above. Wind and snow whipping around your body, stinging your face. You rubbed your arms in a futile attempt to warm up or calm yourself down. All you had to do was leave the cargo behind and go back home. It was going to be fine. The body was none of your business- just pretend it wasn't there.

With a deep breath, you turn around, trudging through the snow that had collected during the time you spend standing around, and you began to unload the cargo and drop it off at the entrance. You couldn't stop yourself from thinking about the body- you couldn't stop looking at it every time you passed. Maybe your distressed mind was tricking you into thinking it had moved.  
There had been no footprints around it when you arrived. Did it fall from the upper floors of the wall? Why was it here? It must have been an accident, you thought- but that didn't sit quite right with you. If it had been a normal man, clad in military garb, you could have bought the story of someone slipping and falling to their death, but this wasn't a normal man. It was twice the size, and appeared... under dressed, even beneath the piling snow. Wild theories ran through your mind. Maybe the military was doing human experiments and disposed of a failed project- but this just seemed sloppy. Hasty. Irresponsible. If something like that had happened they would take greater care to cover it up.

In any case, you just didn't know. The last crate was off your sled, and it was time for you to leave. You gave one last pitying look to the dead fellow who was getting colder by the second, holding your lantern up to the icy body when you saw the steam of warm breath leave its mouth. Your heart stopped.  
By god... he was alive! The thing you thought to be dead had most definitely just shown signs of life- it wasn't too late! But then.. you realized. The thing appeared to have fallen from above. The soldiers wouldn't answer the door.  
They left this thing here to die on purpose.  
Why? Again, you didn't know- but it felt sinister. It was wrong to leave something out in the cold to freeze to death, full stop. The military was doing something wrong, and the situation made your stomach churn.

You were the only one out here- you had to do something.

The rope- you had extra rope on your sled, to haul and secure shipments. Working quickly, you slung the rope over the mass of frozen flesh, securing it to the sled. It was certainly a heavy load, but you've carried more than this.  
A minute later and you managed to the dogs pulling again, shouting " Mush! ", knowing your time was limited if you wanted the... thing, in tow to make it back alive. Your heart was racing on the way home, and you silently prayed that god did not let this poor frozen thing die in your care.


	2. At Least It's Not Frostbite

By the time you made it back home, your lantern had run out of fuel. You silently cursed yourself for not putting more oil in while you had the chance at the fortress, but things had just escalated so quickly. It was dark, but the light from the lamp posts outside your home at least made it so you could make out some shapes in this storm. Having no other way to get this huge man you'd rescued from a wintry death inside, you opted to just drive the whole sled into the barn. You had to get out to unlock and open the barn doors, but your dogs were smart enough to know to pull everything in, so you didn't have to take the reins again. Inside, the fire was still burning, and you were finally warm.

Now to get to work. Once unharnessed, the dogs were out of your way- most curling up in their beds, others lingering and sniffing at the thing you brought home, which you were dragging with all your might towards the fire and onto a bed to straw. You really hoped he was still alive- but you knew there was no way around the frostbite this guy would be suffering. Superficial frostbite at least, in the case he hadn't been outside for long before you arrived, but most likely deep frostbite. You'd have to wait and see. Your next task was fetching water- you didn't have to go far, you had plenty of water stored here for your dogs, and a bowl, and towels. You were always prepared for emergencies.

Sitting at the hearth next to the goliath, you began heating up the water. Your job had provided training for frostbite treatment and first aid, which was appropriate for the climate up here in Briggs, and especially useful now. You had always taken great care to avoid frostbite yourself, so you never really had to do this for anyone else but your dog team occasionally. Once the water had begun steaming, you picked up the bowl with two towels to avoid scalding yourself, and begun to slowly pour it over the frozen giant. For the record- this was only the melt the top layer of ice. Pouring hot water on someone suffering from frostbite wasn't correct procedure, but you couldn't get to the afflicted skin with all that ice in the way. Steam from the melting ice began fogging up the space, and finally the actual flesh was exposed to warm air. It was still cold to the touch, and smelled of... fuel. The kind of fast evaporating fuel that the military used in cold climates. Again, it was obvious- This was intentional. Such a thing would rob any creature of it's body heat in minutes if doused in the fluid and thrown into the cold. Sick. This was just sick!

Shaking your head, you filled the bowl with water again and let it heat up on the fire. While you waited, you took the time to get a good look at your guest. Aside from the obvious unnatural size, there were some other features you found to be quite.. eerie. You pushed back the mass of black, messy hair from it's face, trying to make sense of what you saw. The most striking thing was the strange red lines and the circle covering, or maybe replacing his right eye. The left eye was unsettling and blank- but perhaps that empty gaze would liven up once the stranger regained consciousness. Something more concerning however, what the beartrap of teeth that was his mouth. And the giant cuffs and chains around his wrists. That part just made you... sad. You did hope this fellow would be friendly, or show some amount of courtesy for being saved from freezing to death.

The water was ready, and you laid some towels in to soak it up, and placed them over his face and shoulders. Most important parts first. You couldn't help but feel this was a lost cause, but damned if you weren't going to do your best. Your hopes were lifted once you heard his breathing pick up again, but you knew it would be a while before you had any hopes of communication. For now, you just worked on thawing him out, and letting the fire warm him up. Once satisfied with your handiwork, you decided it was time for a break. You could leave for a few minutes- if something bad happened you'd hear the dogs bark about it all the way from the house. You refilled your lantern and began to head outside.

The blizzard outside showed no signs of letting up. It was difficult to get the barn doors open again with all the fresh snow in the way. You held your lantern close and gripped the edges of your fur lined hood tight as you trudged up to the house.  
You led a pretty simple life out here in Briggs- away from the city, out in the countryside where you lived on your parent's farm. They've long since moved down south where it's warm, leaving you all alone to care for the place and keep things in order. You didn't keep livestock or raise crops like they did, so you just used the barn to house your sledding team and the old farm tools. It was a nice job too, dogsled delivery. Anywhere else such a thing would be obsolete due to the existence of cars, but here in the North, car delivery was unreliable as they tended to get caught and break down in the snow. The military paid well for delivery services too, so you were happy.

Once in the house you shook the snow off your boots, and took a seat at the kitchen table- sighing deeply as you savored the moment of peace. You couldn't enjoy it for long though, as there were things to be done. You started a pot of tea on the stove and went to go put on some warm, dry clothes and pack some extra towels. You would sleep in the barn tonight- which was something you did pretty often, as you liked spending time with the dogs, but this time you needed to keep a close eye on the guest. The wind outside was picking up, rattling the window shutters and making the house creak. Better hurry up and get back out to the barn while you still can, you thought to yourself as you went back down stairs to gather the rest of your things.

With a thermos of piping hot tea, a bundle of biscuits, and a few blankets and towels, you set out to face the blizzard again. The snow kept getting higher and higher- you ran as hard as you could through it to avoid getting soaked in cold snow again.

Back at the barn, nothing much had changed. The dogs were happy to see you again, and your guest was still warming up. Setting your fresh supplies down on the cot you had in here for your nights with the dogs, you went to tend to the patient again. To your surprise, he was heating up quite fast, skin no longer ice cold- you could even feel a pulse! You felt like some kind of miracle worker. You laid down fresh hot towels and water to soak him in and went back to setting up camp.

The biscuits were still warm, thankfully, and you happily shoved one in your mouth and sipped on some tea when a loud shiver and groan caught you off guard.  
There was no way he was conscious already! You looked over from your perch on the cot to see the stranger sitting up- wet towels falling off of his head. You found yourself reluctant to speak- perhaps due to the intimidating presence of a giant man with sharp teeth and soulless eyes sitting at your fireplace- but he didn't seem interesting in conversation either. He didn't even look at you, and probably didn't know you were there. All he did was sit up and scooch closer to the fire, shivering and hunching over it to savor the warmth. Speaking of fire.. you should feed it more logs. Perhaps that would be a polite way of letting him know you were here.

Carefully you rose, biscuit in mouth, to go pluck three logs from the stack in the barn, and quietly approached to feed them to the fire. Maintaining careful eye contact- which was not returned, you slipped the logs into the fireplace one-by-one. The sound must have gotten his attention finally, because he finally opened his eye to peer down at you.

" Just uh- feeding the fire. " You said meekly, cursing the way your voice cracked from nervousness.

The giant blinked slowly, giving absolutely no response before he huddled back down to the source of heat.

He seemed awfully... okay, if extremely aloof, for someone who had almost frozen to death in a blizzard. You would ask him about it, but not right now. He didn't seem to want to talk. You shrugged it off and returned to your cot, hunkering down under some blankets while you continued to sip the tea and stare at your uncanny visitor. He wasn't wearing alot of clothes- certainly not enough for this kind of weather. He has trousers and boots, and some kind of weird suspender-harness thing on his torso. Kind of.. revealing, wasn't it? He was basically- no, he was shirtless. He was beckoning death by cold by walking around like that, no wonder he was shivering and huddling by the fire like he'd never been warm in his entire life.  
Something else odd you noticed was the tattoo on the back of his shoulder. Maybe is was a gang thing for all you knew, but something told you you'd seen the little red serpent eating its own tail before- what was it called? Bah. That was an alchemist thing, and you hadn't studied for years- you never even really got the hang of it. If you had, you wouldn't be living alone in the northern wilderness delivering supplies to a military base- you'd be in Central enjoying a State Alchemist's pay and the praise of common folk who lacked such talents.

The barn continued to rattle with the force of the wind and snow, the fire crackled away and the dogs had settled down to sleep. Perhaps you should as well- but you were reluctant to leave your new friend unattended like that- although he seemed to be asleep himself. Ah, whatever. If something happened either him or the dogs would be waking you up.

You could afford to take some well-earned rest, so that you did. The long night was finally over, and you could deal with the rest in the morning.


	3. Olivier, Where's the Homunculus?

" Surely this is a joke, Major General Armstrong? " General Raven chuckled- although he was not amused.

The Northern Wall of Briggs was NOT happy. Something had gone terribly wrong, and for some god forsaken reason, the monster was GONE, and now SHE looked like the one responsible. It could have been anyone- the Drachmans, even, although she was confident they would never be able to get on that side of the wall so easily.

" I wish that it was, General, but I'm afraid I'm at a loss. Your... 'chimera', or whatever it was that broke into the fortress last night is now gone. We kept an eye on it for approximately 30 minutes before we were certain it had froze, so after it stopped moving we took care of more urgent business. It seems it has escaped. There were no footprints, no trail in the morning, although there was a shipment of supplies left behind- but there's no telling when that arrived because of the blizzard having washed away all evidence. " Olivier explained, clenching her fists.

There was an upside to this. The Elric boy had told her of the monster's true nature, and that the military's higher ups were up to no good- if Raven didn't get his homunculus back, then they could use that to their advantage.

" I see. Well, there's no time to waste- we shall launch an investigation immediately. I want you to find that chimera- If you do, I'm willing to look past this little mistake. He's an important asset of the military, I'm sure you understand. " Raven said with a wry grin, patting the Major General on the shoulder.  
" Perhaps a good place to start looking is the delivery service. See who was scheduled to deliver and when, and make some visits, yes? "

Olivier grit her teeth.

" Yes sir. I'll brief my men and have them begin immediately. "

That was a lie. She was already plotting to kill him. With Raven dead, they could leave this behind them and effectively thwart this move from the enemy- but she did want to know the whereabouts of the homunculus, so she could play along for her own advantage.

" Very good. Now if you'll excuse me, I must discuss some things with my subordinate. Perhaps I'll even have Kimblee assist you. "

That wouldn't do. If he got Kimblee in on this, he would most certainly make matters worse, she had to think quickly.  
As Raven turned his back to her to leave the office, Olivier unsheathed her sword and in the blink of an eye had impaled the General through the chest.

" I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, General. My men are capable, and your presence here is no longer necessary. " She said mockingly, twisting her saber to inflict more damage and pain upon her enemy.

Raven gasped and sputtered in pain, blood leaking from his mouth.

" We- We had a DEAL! You could have joined me, I- "

Olivier braced her boot against the general's back and withdrew her sword, wiping his blood off of it with her cotton gloves as he cried out in agony. Raven was on the floor of her office, bleeding out, drawing his final breaths, glaring up at the Northern Wall. She returned the gaze, cold and unforgiving as she removed her bloodied gloves, tossing them onto his body as she withdrew a clean pair from her coat pocket.

She called in her guards to come take care of the body- ordering them to dispose of him in the hole the homunculus had bore in the lowest level, and seal it up with concrete. They would never find him, so they had nothing to worry about in that department.

Now to get rid of Kimblee, and find the missing homunculus.


	4. Nothing Suspicious Here

The morning had come quietly, for a moment you forgot the panic of last night as you lay huddled on a cot, waking up to the light of dawn and one of your sledding dogs licking your face. The fire was out, and the only light in the barn came from the windows above, casting tired blue rays of the winter morning onto the floor below. Shooing the dog away, you turned over and pulled your blankets up further, sighing, relaxed and content. It took you until now to notice the soft snoring coming from beside the fireplace. For a split second you jumped out of your skin- but upon remembering all of what happened last night the hairs on the back of your neck settled down again.

Chuckling at yourself for being startled so easily, you shook your head and reached down for your thermos to drink the last of the now frigid tea. You should get the fire started again, you thought, looking over to your friend that had fallen asleep and must now feel very cold. You were surprised, again, to see no signs of frostbite injury, which was enough to confirm that this thing probably wasn't particularly human, but he had been.. behaved, so far, so it was no problem for you.

Reluctantly you rolled out of your cot, cringing at having to leave the warm spot, but diligently tending to your duties. Picking up about four logs, a blanket and a lighter, you approached the fireplace yet again and kneeled at the hearth, oh-so close to your intimidating guest. He didn't look so scary now though, peacefully snoring away. You slung the blanket over his massive shoulders and got to starting the fire, which came roaring to life in no time at all. Your guest seemed to appreciate it too, giving a quiet hum of contentment. When he woke up you were going to do something about the chains. There were plenty of farm tools here, perhaps one of them could cut or break the iron. You could deal with that later though- for now you had to feed the dogs, and yourself.

Opening the barn door, with great difficult from the wall of snow, you could see that the light was almost blinding. The sky was still a bit cloudy, but the light reflecting off the snow felt like staring into the sun. Your dogs ran out and went about their business, frolicking in the fresh snow and playing with eachother. It was almost like having kids. There was a light, crisp breeze blowing by- nowhere near as bitter and unforgiving as last night's, but still too cold for comfort as it made your nose red and eyes water, so you made haste with returning to the house.

Meanwhile, the stranger in the barn was beginning to wake.

Sloth opened his eye, taking in a deep breath as consciousness returned to him. His body ached, having been frozen to the bone last night and hastily thawed, but the last of the cold within him had melted away in the presence of the fire. He didn't remember coming here. Last night he was awake for a moment, but he didn't do much besides get close to the fire before he fell asleep again. Someone was there, he thought, but couldn't remember who. It wasn't the woman with striking eyes and hair like sunlight, or her tall fierce subordinate who managed to tackle him at the fortress, and it wasn't the small, angry red-clad boy.  
That strange human from last night seemed friendly though, they didn't bother or try to attack him, so he wasn't worried about it. Instead, he went back to sleep, enjoying the wonderful warmth radiating from the fireplace. He'd never felt something so nice before. It was always so cold in the tunnel, and it was even colder outside. Who knew there was such a wonderful thing as the heat of a fire to feel.

Back at the house, another pot of tea was made, and you filled the dog's bowls with hearty meat and kibble, setting it on the porch before you whistled for them to come eat. Now it was your turn- you fried up a couple eggs for yourself and made a plate for your guest- as was the polite thing to do. Before you could make it back out the door, your telephone began to ring. Odd, you thought, for someone to be calling you this early. Maybe it was the supplier, or your mother. Setting down the trays of food, you came to answer the call.

" Hello? " You said.

" Good morning. Is this (y/n) speaking? " Said an unfamiliar voice.

" Yes, it is. How can I help you? "

" This is the North City military police, we'd just like to ask you a few questions, but we can come make a visit if this is a bad time. "

Your heart stopped. How did they find out?! You were never a good liar, but you had to do something. You did not want any trouble, you just wanted to be left in peace- You decided to answer questions now, in hopes they wouldn't try to come visit your property.

" I have the time right now, I'm afraid I'm going to be busy later. What would you like to ask me? " You said calmly, trying your best not to sound nervous.

" Understandable. Just so you know, we're questioning all of the local deliverymen and suppliers, so there's no need to be alarmed. To start off, did you happen to be making any deliveries last night? "

You hesitated.

" No sir, I'm afraid not. I was scheduled to make a delivery but the blizzard was making the route unpassable. I delivered the cargo late, just before dawn this morning when the blizzard had slowed down a little. Has something happened to the supplies? " You asked, trying to sound innocent and unaware.

" I'm surprised we didn't see your sled trail, but I guess the wind was still blowing the aftermath of that blizzard around by the time you were gone, yeah? But no, the cargo was received, there's no need to worry. Apologies on behalf of the soldiers for not receiving you when you came. "

You should have just said you didn't make a delivery- you should have let them suspect someone else, confound it.

" It's quite alright officer, thank you. "

The man on the other end of the phone chuckled casually.

" One more question before we let you go- you didn't happen to see anything suspicious, did you? Any cause for alarm? "

Maybe now you could throw them off your trail.

" Nothing in particular, but there were some footprints heading towards the forest when I came to drop the supplies off. I assume it was just one of the soldiers, but I didn't see any out on patrol at the time. "

You heard the sound of pen on paper over the phone.

" Thank you for your cooperation, ( y/n ), enjoy the rest of your day. "

" You t- "

He hung up before you got to return the sentiment. Whatever, that's his problem. At least now you felt a little better having known you had given them a wild goose to chase without looking too suspicious. You would most certainly be enjoying the rest of your day. Thankfully, the food was still warm, and you hurried up and brought your breakfast back to the barn and called the dogs back in. Your friend was still asleep, though. Perhaps he wasn't feeling well? You could help him if he told you what the problem was.

Setting the food down carefully, you approached him and reached up to grab his shoulder and shake him awake. That was... ineffective. The guy was so huge you could barely move him, he quite possibly couldn't even feel your hand. Frowning, you reached over to give him a few pats on the cheek, to see if that would rouse him.  
You got a reaction that time- a huff and a sleepy glance, but he seemed dedicated to the position.

" Hey. Wake up, buddy. I've got some food for you, and I'd like to talk for a minute if you're up to it. " You said.

The big man sighed, sitting up for a moment as he stretched, chains rattling and swinging around precariously, but they didn't hit you. He yawned and rubbed his eye, peering down at you with an apathetic stare. He tilted his head slightly, obviously not recognizing who you were. Then he slowly looked around him, frowning in confusion.

" Where... am I?... Who are you? " replied a deep, tired voice.

You sighed in relief that he actually answered.

" I'm ( y/n ). You're in my barn. Last night you were frozen out in the snow, so I brought you home to warm you up. Do you remember what happened to you? " You asked, hoping for some explanation as to why he was there in the first place. You weren't sure knowing was going to make you feel any better, but you had to ask.

" ...I... don't know you. " He said, pausing to think.  
" I... fell?... was digging. got lost. humans... were fighting me. "

You listened carefully, trying to make sense of it. The guy seemed to have limited vocabulary- maybe he wasn't very smart. He also sounded terrible exhausted, like just speaking was draining the life out of him- maybe you should give him a break.

" Ah. I'm sorry about that. You can tell me more later, I'll let you rest. For now, could I get your name? You haven't introduced yourself. "

Sloth hesitated. No one asked for his name before- his siblings already knew it, and the humans didn't care. Sometimes he forgot he even had a name, until Pride or Father would call it and urge him to get back to work.

" ... Sloth. " He said.

" It's nice to meet you. " You replied, smiling at him, happy at the progress that had been made.  
" You aren't hungry are you? I've got some food here. "

Sloth gave a confused expression. He wasn't gluttony, why would he need to eat?

" No. "

" Alright, that's fine. I'll let you get back to sleep. " You gave him a pat on the shoulder and returned to your cot, where you finished your breakfast and gave the rest to your dogs.

Almost as soon as he woke up, Sloth was back asleep. What a strange name, you thought- but you wouldn't want to say something rude like that to him. It wasn't a human name, at least not in this country, ( perhaps he was a foreigner? ) but it was fitting enough, you supposed.  
A name was a name, and you were happy you had something to call him now.


	5. May I Take Your Baggage?

It was later that evening when you decided to help your new friend get rid of his shackles. You hated to see them- it was concern raising, questionable, and kind of dangerous when he moved his arms and swung those big chains around. Sloth was cooperative, although very indifferent to whether or not the shackles came off, but he was still and patient anyways. With the big cable cutters you took from the barn's tool rack, you cut the chain at the base of the cuff on one hand. Getting the cuff off was going to be the hard part, as you didn't really have any tools that could remove them. Unless... you stuck the cable cutters in the fire to give them more bite. You really didn't want to risk burning him with that, however. As you worked, you tried to strike up conversation- or more accurately, fish for information.

" So, " You said, aligning the cable cutters to remove the chains on the other hand. " You said you were digging when you encountered the people at Fort Briggs. What were you digging up down there? "

Sloth thought carefully about that question. He didn't actually know why Father had assigned him this task, or what the tunnel was for. He just knew his job was to dig the circle beneath the country, which had so far taken... roughly a century. Of non-stop work. For something he didn't understand. A bitter feeling welled up inside of him, reminding him of why he didn't like to think too hard about this stuff.

" ...A tunnel. " He answered.

That was hardly a satisfying answer, you thought. That just raised MORE questions.

" What for? " You asked, clipping the second chain off, which clattered to the floor.

" Dunno. " Sloth admitted. " Just my job. ...For Father. "

" Ah, so you have a family? They must be missing you right now, should we get you home sometime soon? " You said, wondering what his family was even like or why they were making him do this.

Another question that stirred up unpleasant feelings. He knew his presence was probably being missed, but not for any... good reasons. Thinking about it was a pain. Answering these questions was a pain- but he didn't want to return. However, he knew that he most certainly faced punishment if he didn't- at the hands of Pride or Father, he did not know. Shirking his responsibilities was a serious offense, and if he didn't go back then someone was certain to come for him. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

" No. " Sloth bitterly replied after a long, hesitant silence. " Too much. Don't bother. "

He decided he would stay as long as he could. After all, he didn't know where he was. Pride most likely didn't know, and Father definitely didn't know. This person so far had kept him warm and let him sleep. He had only known the human for possibly one day, but he already did not want to leave. It made him uneasy to think he was, for the first time, willingly disobeying Father, but it took no effort to do so at this time. It was easy- just stay. Let what happens happen, and don't think about it too hard left the moment be spoiled.

There was something that made you feel extremely sad about the answer your goliath of a friend had given you. Was it the tone? The fact that he flat out said he didn't want to go home? You were already trying to put the pieces together. This man... thing's, Father had put him to worth digging a tunnel, and from what you could tell, probably by hand. He wore giant shackles and chains, and had a very apathetic, sluggish, and melancholic disposition. You suddenly felt very guilty about asking questions that no doubt stirred unhappiness within your guest.

" I'm sorry- I didn't know. " You said, shaking your head as you tried to think of a way to mend this. You grabbed the massive hand in front of you and smiled at him.  
" You can stay here, for as long as you like. You don't have to go back. "

Sloth looked, ever so slightly, taken aback. He hadn't really expected that. An apology, to him? The clutching of his hand? And for this person to actually want him around? Unheard of. That bitterness in his heart faded away at this warm feeling, that he didn't quite know what to do with. There was a strange stinging sensation in his eye. The corner of his mouth twitched in confusion, but he pressed his lips together and gave a single nod, not sure how to express his gratitude. He closed his massive fist around your hands with a surprising gentleness, and your heart melted.

You weren't a person who had many friends- you would help others when you could, you were on good terms with the people of North City and you were nice, but you hadn't really had a genuine friend since you were much younger, much less one that you could spend time with regularly. This new development must have been some kind of blessing- and to think this docile thing in front of you had been tossed out into the cold and left to die? Unspeakable. You weren't expecting to feel this way when you first brought him home, but you couldn't help but feel completely endeared by this giant, oddly monstrous looking man.

Releasing your hold on him, you stood up and dusted yourself off.

" Well, I should go take the dogs out, let me know if that fire needs more logs, yeah? " You said, to which he replied with a nod of acknowledgement, before you herded your dogs out of the barn and went back to the house to fix their dinners.


	6. Done Playing Detective

Late into the night, you and your friend conversed in the warm safety of the barn, sitting side by side at the fireplace. Again, Sloth did not contribute much himself, only briefly answering questions when asked, but he listened very well. You passed time for many hours telling stories, explaining things about Amestrian culture that seemed alien to your guest. You felt bad that he hadn't had the freedom to develop as a person and experience things outside of his work and family- which to you was so extremely bizarre you couldn't begin to grasp an explanation for it- until you got one.

The question you had been asking yourself since the other night making that delivery- was he human? Had only been answered with observation so far- which indicated a very clear no. But, if not human, then what could this very human-like thing be? You decided you'd ask him- although such a thing seemed rude to say, you were already in too deep, so it couldn't really hurt.

" Homunculus ", He said.

The word hung in the air for a long time as you milled it over, thinking back to what you knew about alchemy and what conclusions you could draw from this new information.

Artificial Human. Unnatural, immortal, artificial. You didn't think such a thing could exist.  
Sloth, and his family members. Homunculi. That explained many things, and again, brought even more questions flooding into your mind.  
The tattoo, ouroboros, a symbol of eternal life, was the symbol of Homunculus. That was behind his astonishing ability to survive unscathed in the face of that blizzard. It was behind his stature, his features, the strange red nodes. Perhaps it was also behind his name, which was not human, or his ignorance and uncertainty of the world and its people.  
This is why he did not eat nor drink, as his body could live without it. Why he slept so much was a mystery- but perhaps a homunculus can be worn out, after a long life of nonstop work or from serious injury. Maybe sleep was a form of escapism. For all you knew, it could be both.

Most importantly, from what you've discovered, there was a family of homunculi digging a circle beneath the country. While your friend seemed rather nice for an artificially created man, something told you the family, that he did not wish to return to, were up to absolutely no good. You were no alchemist, but you knew enough on the subject to understand that homunculi, which are created through alchemy, creating a large country sized circle, was no doubt alchemy related.

The situation was much, much bigger than you thought. Something was very, very wrong with this country.  
You realized, much to your dismay, that the soldiers at Fort Briggs were quite possibly doing the right thing- or the closest they could get given the circumstances, when they threw Sloth out like that. By doing so they were probably preventing him from digging the tunnel any more, whether they knew it or not. Obviously they didn't have to try to kill him to accomplish this, from what you could tell, being... nice, would have worked just as well.

You took a bite of biscuit and chewed it slowly, thoughtfully, as you considered your response.

" That's interesting. " You said conversationally, not wanting to let the dark, serious tone of your thoughts on the situation take hold of a nice talk with your friend.  
" I've never been friends with a homunculus before. I'm glad that I met you, Sloth. "

Those words had brought another confused, but endearing reaction from your friend, who had most definitely not dealt with such... friendliness, before. Despite it being sad, you found some amusement in it. Here was a homunculus, an immortal, being genuinely flattered by a friendly human- which to him was a rarity like no other. Like a wolf being taken in by a domestic dog that was too affectionate to be afraid.

You didn't know how late it was, but you were beginning to feel the weight of sleep setting in. The heavy realizations that came to you this evening were tiring- you officially did not want to know any more.  
What could you, a humble delivery service employee, do about all of this anyways? It would be best to just.. forget it. Go about your life as you always have, enjoy your new company, and not worry about it. If all this was true, there was already someone working to fix it. The military was probably doing just that, right? You could settle for that answer.

With a deep sigh, you leaned over and rested your head on his arm. Another affectionate gesture that he wasn't sure how to respond to, but had no qualms with.  
You had work tomorrow.  
What was Sloth to do all by himself here? Sleep, probably, but you still felt bad about leaving him alone. You felt paranoid about the police coming onto your property and what might happen if they found him.  
Sloth didn't seem too worried about it, though, so you decided that you wouldn't be either.

Before you knew it, you were fast asleep right beside him at the hearth, and stayed like that until morning came.


	7. Honest Work For Honest Pay

Waking up at dawn you felt.. heavier than normal. When you fully came to, you realized it was mainly due to the fact that there was a massive head in your lap. Sloth was peacefully asleep, lying on his back with his head resting upon you. When this happened, you did not recall.

You chuckled to yourself at the cuteness of it, but quickly you realized the inconvenience. You had to get up.

You sighed in annoyance, partially amused, as you ran your fingers through his hair. You could sit here for a little while longer, you supposed, but at what cost? Your boss would not appreciate you coming in late. Delivery service required punctuality.  
Gently, you tried to pry yourself out from underneath your sleeping friend, which was difficult to say the least, since you were trying not to wake him up. Thankfully, the pillow from your cot was within reach, so you quickly swapped yourself out for it, letting your friend continue to rest comfortably.

Finally free, you busied yourself with getting ready for work.  
Breakfast for you and the dogs, a shower, and a thermos full of coffee was all you needed to start the day. You rekindled the fire for him and gave it enough logs to keep burning for a few hours, and harnessed the dogs up to your sled. You found yourself lingering at the gate to your property's fence, looking back at the barn.  
Smiling, you silently bid your friend farewell. The past two days had felt like weeks, and a bittersweet feeling washed over at the thought of leaving just for a day of work. Ah well. Work was work. You closed the fence behind you and mushed your dogs onward, heading down to North City where you would be given your next shipment to deliver.

During your trip, Sloth woke up alone in the barn.

He was surprised to see you were no longer there, rather something else took your place. That can't be right, he thought, sitting up and looking around the now empty, silent barn. Sloth frowned, scratching his chin. It was an odd feeling- expecting someone to be there, missing them when they failed to appear. He sighed, shifting around uneasily in the bed of straw he'd been sleeping in the past few days. Normally you would have been back by now. He would just have to wait then, he supposed.

Sloth curled up on his side, blanket clutched around his shoulders as he stared into the fire.  
He thought about how his family had not found him yet. It was surprising- normally if he got lost or wandered off they'd have him back by the next day. He was either very well hidden from them this time or.. maybe they didn't want him back. Maybe his usefulness to them had been exhausted. But then again, the tunnel was not completed. Who else would be able to finish it? Pride always bragged about how he could do it, but he was too important to labor like that, and how that's not what Father made him for. Sloth didn't care. He was already unwanted for every purpose aside from digging. They didn't like him, they weren't kind to him, and they didn't care. He hopes they didn't need him anymore, so they wouldn't take him away from this place.

Again, he fell asleep, this time feeling lonely in your absence.

When you arrived at North City, it was bustling with activity as usual. Some people you were familiar with, simple because you frequented the area, smiled and waved at you, and you returned the gesture happily. On your way to the shipment office you passed the train station, watching some people you didnt recognize board. The most noticeable was the man dressed in an all white suit, who looked rather... sleezy. Following him was a girl, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes, and some tall, burly men in military uniform. Then there was a young boy in bright red and a giant armored fellow- you didn't recall all these weirdos coming to North City recently.. The train they were boarding was going to Baschool too. Yes, the abandoned mining town. What in the world were these people going to accomplish there? You decided you'd stop staring at the strangers and be on your way.

There was more soldiers in town than usual too. Some of them you recognized from your deliveries to Fort Briggs. What were they doing all the way out here? A soldier even greeted you when you dismounted from your sled and walked up to the shipment office, the doors of which opened with a bell jingling at your entrance. The desk woman looked up and smiled at you, beckoning you over as she brought up a delivery schedule.

" Good morning (y/n), " She greeted as she handed you the clipboard.  
" Here's your delivery list for the day. You're going to have to take some extra work since some of the other employees haven't showed up. " She said, apologetically.

You hid your annoyance and smiled at her.

" That's fine, I can take care of it. " You said, taking the clipboard. It was indeed a long list... Your coworkers better buy you lunch for this.

At the top of the list was a shipment of stock for a vendor at the market, then a shipment feed one of the farmers had ordered, next medicine to be delivered at the hospital, at least a DOZEN cases of beer for the pub, and finally two shipments for Fort Briggs- automail materials and some miscellaneous supplies. You felt uneasy at having to return there, but work was work. You left the office and took your sled to the back to load the first two shipments, which was just about all you could carry at once without having it topple over. Once secured, you rode off to deliver.

It didn't take long to drop the stock off at the market, since you were already in town. The vendor paid for it and gratefully took his shipment, but you decided to take a brief stroll through the market while you were here. One vendor was selling wool imported from a town called Resembool. It must have really been a small backwater farm town, because you'd never heard of it before. Another vendor had some delicious smelling, freshly baked bread, another was selling automail parts made in Rush Valley. Finally, there was a local trapper selling furs of all kinds- yes. Nice, warm furs and some durable handmade fabrics. For cheap, too.  
You thought carefully- you had wanted to get something for your friend while you were here, and something that had been nagging at the back of your mind was the fact he was so under dressed. You couldn't possibly hope to find any coats in his size, but... you could always make one. You made your own clothes from time to time- just something you picked up on having been raised in a farm family.

You purchased a few wolf pelts, marveling at their softness, and a couple rolls of that heavy, coarse fabric, for only 800 cens. You could put it all together when you got home, you had buttons and thread and needles there. Perhaps Sloth could even help you. You needed his measurements anyways.

Next you were off to make that farm delivery, which took a while as it was out of the city and into rural Briggs. A cattle farm, of course- you were familiar with it, as it was the main source of fresh beef in the city. You dropped off the feed and went on your way as soon as the farmer handed over the payment, as you could see heavy clouds rolling in as the wind picked up. God forbid it started snowing soon. They JUST had a blizzard only a few days ago, snow was still piled high from the last storm!

Once you got back to North City, for the second time, snow had begun to fall. You weren't fooled by the gentle, slow snowfall. Up here there was no such thing as a light snow, it was always bound to turn into a wintry hellscape of ice. Hastily, you picked up and ran your next delivery to the bustling, noisy pub, and went back to pick up the final shipments for Briggs.

Finally, the last and dreaded delivery. It took so long to get to and from the fortress, and it was snowing. At least, you admitted, it wasn't as bad as the other night- at least it wasn't dark, and colder than the 9th circle of hell.

You mushed the dogs as fast as they could go with all the weight you were carrying- the automail parts in particular were oh so heavy, and you cursed whoever it was at Fort Briggs for not just coming down to the city to take care of their automail needs. This time you met with the checkpoint guard, who confirmed your identity and that you had the correct shipment before letting you proceed to the fortress.

When you finally arrived, snow was falling fast and there was finally a party of soldiers waiting to receive and help unload the shipment at the base of Fort Briggs. They moved efficiently and didn't give you trouble, however, with the final package- the damn automail parts, they asked you to give them a hand. Being you, you didn't refuse them, and you dismounted from your sled to help. Following their lead, you grabbed your corner of the crate and moved with them. Into the fortress. You didn't think you were even ALLOWED in here. You probably weren't- was this some kind of trap? Did they actually know what you did? Have they lured you into their nest so they could interrogate or imprison you? You suddenly became very very nervous, trying very hard not to lose grip as you moved the crate up a flight of stairs. Where the hell were they taking this?

After a few long minutes of walking down corridors and up stairs, they finally brought the crate into a room and at last you could stop carrying it. Your arms were sore, and you rubbed them as you took a look around.

Apparently they had an automail shop at the fortress. You didn't get very far in your poking about before one of the soldiers who had brought the crate in with you had spoken to you.

" Thank you for your assistance, ( y/n ) " He said.  
" Sorry to make you come all this way, but the General wanted to have a word with you in private. "

" It's no problem- wait, what? " You said in panic confusion, as you looked to the door and saw a tall woman with long blonde hair and cold blue eyes leaning against the frame.

" You're dismissed. " She said to the soldiers, who saluted and filed out of the room, leaving you alone with her.

" In case you weren't aware, civilian, I am Major General Armstrong. You are ( y/n ), Correct? "

" Y-yes, that's me. Is something wrong? " You said, trying hard to mask your panic, which did not fool the General in the slightest.

" You received a call yesterday from the police asking if you saw anything suspicious when you made your last delivery. You said you saw footprint leading into the woods. "

" Yes. "

" I think you're lying. Fortunately that lie you gave us was an important tip in finding a criminal that had run to Briggs to hide from authorities. However we're looking for something more important that I'm inclined to believe that you, who made a delivery to the fortress 2 days ago, know about. So, I'm going to ask you myself. Where is it? "

" I- .. I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am. I'm sorry- I don't know. All I did was make the delivery and go back home- " You said, trying to hide the fact you were now trembling in fear.

" ENOUGH. " The general said, raising her voice. She grabbed you by the collar of your shirt.

" I know that you know. You're the only one who could know. We HAVE to know where it went, and who you're working for. If you've really done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. TELL me. Where is the homunculus?! " She barked, giving your collar a jerk.

By now your face was entirely drained of color. No one had ever been so cross with you- you'd never had such an important secret to keep. What were you to do?!

" I'm n-not working for anyone, I- I'm just doing my job. I... there was something I saw when I- when I came here. It looked like it was dying so... I took it home. I just wanted to help- I know it looks bad but- he's not doing any harm, I swear! " You were on the verge of tears now, shameful in your confession.

" H-he's just living with me now. I- I know about the homunculi. About the tunnel. I'll t-tell you whatever you wanna know but please- please don't take him away.. I know you people are trying to do the right thing but so am I! I'm not your enemy! " You said, and the general finally let you go.

She said nothing for a while as you tried to hide your tears and get your feelings under control. You knew full and well you looked pathetic. For an adult, you didn't have a very.. steely, hardened resolve. You were soft and liked gentle things, and you cracked under such high pressure.

Olivier narrowed her eyes at you, considering your confession, judging.

" I see. " she said, seeming to accept this as the truth.

" I trust you realize the weight of the situation? The fate of the country is at stake here, civilian. Pull yourself together. "

You nodded and tried to keep steady as you looked her in the eye.

" You unintentionally did me a favor, when you took the homunculus. A represenative from Central wanted us to put it back in the tunnel, but with it being gone, we didn't have to do that, so whatever they were planning has been momentarily thwarted. So, in return for this favor- I'll allow you to make your case. Tell me what you know, and we'll come to an agreement about what happens to the homunculus. " Olivier said, with her authoritative finality.

You genuinely weren't expecting that. You thought you would get in trouble right away, that they wouldn't listen. What a miracle that this should happen- you felt relieved. Somewhat. You still had alot of explaining to do, but at least you knew you had a pretty good chance of keeping things they way they were, and keeping your friend safe.

" I- Thank you. Thank you. I'll tell you everything- I guess I'll.. start from the beginning, then. "


	8. The Agreement

Your talk with the Northern Wall of Briggs had gone surprisingly well. It had taken an hour, maybe even two, to get things sorted out. You told the general about the information you learned from Sloth, and the conclusions you managed to draw from it. She actually believed you, too, apparently she had another informant, the Fullmetal Alchemist, who's information aligned with what you provided. You didn't know who that was, but you silently thanked him for indirectly saving your hide.

Upon your request that they leave Sloth with you, so that he may hide and that the both of you could live in peace, Olivier gaze became suspicious and scrutinizing.

" What is it that do you want with the homunculus? You have nothing to gain, unless you're hiding something from me. He is nothing but trouble, you couldn't possibly just want to keep him as a companion. " She said, narrowing her eyes.

You felt your cheeks get warm and you rubbed the back of your neck.

" I don't know what to tell you, General. I just like him. I know it sounds insane, but we've become friends in the past few days and... I want to keep the trust that I've earned. I want to keep this relationship I've built with him and I just... wanna be happy. That's all I ask. I'll help you in any way I can but.. is it really going to cost you to let him stay with me? As far as the rest of the military knows, he's missing. He's been wiped off the face of the earth, and no one knows he's with me. Don't you think when they send more agents to come look for him that you'd benefit from him being hidden in a place they wouldn't think to look? " You said, trying your best to appeal to the logical side of things. Listening to yourself, you started to feel embarrassed. You weren't making it sound like you had feelings for him were you?!

" You have a good point, I'll give you that, but I'm not completely sold. I'll send you home with one of my men, so that they may report back to me in confirmation of your situation. " She replied, giving you a questioning side-eye, obviously judgemental of what you just said.

" ( y/n ), would you say you're a... 'man of peculiar taste'? " Olivier asked, raising her brow and leaning towards you.

By now you were most definitely red as a beet.

" What does that have anything to do with it?! We aren't here to discuss my personal preferences! " You said defensively.

The general scoffed and smirked, obviously amused by the reaction.

" Don't worry, ( y/n ). Your little secret is safe with me. "

" Whatever. If we're done here, I'd like to go home. My dogs have been waiting for me long enough. It's cold out there, you know. "

" I had my men take them inside after they brought you in. They're perfectly fine. "

" Oh. I see...uh.. Thank you. I'll be going, then. "

" Very well- but allow me to introduce you to your escort. " She said, as she began to walk to the other side of the partitioned room, beckoning you.

You were downright frustrated at this point, but you followed anyways if it meant that you could get home sooner. On the other half of the partition was a tall, shirtless man with a long, thin mustache, a mohawk and lengthy braid- who's arm was being put back together and repaired by an automail engineer. This didn't exactly make you feel any better. These people had been in the same room listening to your conversation with the general. Would the shame never cease? You couldn't look either of these people in the eye.

" This is Captain Buccaneer, one of my finest men, and tonight he will be taking you home. " Olivier said.

Buccaneer grinned at you, to which you responded with an eyeroll and averted gaze.

" No need to fill me in, General. I've got this taken care of. " He told Olivier, who nodded and turned to leave.

" If you don't return by tomorrow morning, I'm going to assume ( y/n ) has tricked us and I will send reinforcements after you- but I'm sure you can handle yourself. "

" Of course. Don't worry about me, General. I can take on that big brute and this little whelp if it comes to that. Let's hope they don't give me any trouble. " Buccaneer said with a chuckle.

Olivier dismissed herself to attend to business elsewhere, and you were left in the automail shop alone with strange company.

" Are you almost done there, Niel? " Buccaneer asked his engineer impatiently, rubbing the back of his neck. " All I wanted was for you to reattach the crocodile once it's been fixed. "

You wondered what he meant by " the crocodile ", but quickly realized this was in reference to the odd, dangerous looking attachment to his automail. Instead of an arm, the " crocodile " was a massive chainsaw mounted on the elbow joint. You'd never seen automail like that before- of course any sane man would just get a replacement limb, not a giant, menacing weapon attached to their body. You were surprised the military even allowed this.

" I'm almost done, Buc, just putting in the last few bolts. " Niel replied, fiddling with his screwdriver as he secured the outer plating on Buccaneer's shoulder.

You stood around quietly until Buccaneer was finally ready to get going, slipping on his military coat and additional winter coat that all the soldiers here wore. He had to roll his sleeve up to accommodate the crocodile, of course, which he swung around dangerously, snapping it closed a few times before he was satisfied with its functionality. Or maybe he was just doing that to intimidate you.

" Looks good. Thanks for the touch up, Neil. Let's get going. " Buc said, approaching you a little too quick for comfort, and before you could register what had happened, Buccaneer picked you up and began walking back to the entrance while holding you like a briefcase.

Too scared to say anything about it, you stayed silent for the ride. It must have been for convenience- maybe he didn't expect you to be able to keep up with him, but for god's sake was is really necessary for him to carry you around like that?!

Your dogs indeed had been waiting inside the fortress, being doted on by some of the soldiers and fed scraps of food. Your furs and fabrics were still there at least although you weren't exactly sure how Buccaneer intended on escorting you unless he had a sled his own.

To your dismay, He set you down on the platform of the sled where you drove from, and stood right behind you on it himself, looming over you with one hand on the grip where yours was. The soldiers opened the doors and without command, your dogs brought the sled out of the fortress.

" A- .. Are you really expecting me to DRIVE like this?! " You finally said, looking back at Buccaneer with a bewildered expression.

Buccaneer laughed and put his flesh hand on the top off your head, tousling your hair roughly.

" Sure am, snowflake Now, I suggest we get going. The snow's gonna start coming down real hard soon. "

Having no other choice, you shook your head and mushed the dogs onward for home, keeping your mouth shut for the rest of the journey.


	9. Three Is A Crowd

Sloth had spent the entirety of your absence sulking, aching, anxiously waiting for your return as he lay curled up by the fire as he stared into it. For once, it seemed that he could no longer sleep peacefully with the presence of this awful feeling that had settled in as the sun set and sky darkened, with no sign of you at the door. The fire was dwindling. How long before it, and the only source of happiness he had known, if only for a few days, ceased to exist forever? Perhaps he was being pessimistic, but that came easy to him as a result of countless past experiences of despair and crushed hope.

As if to answer his prayers, you finally came home.

The ride there had been awkward to say the least, with the good Captain looming above and breathing down your neck the entire way. By the time you arrived the snow had begun to fall so heavy it was difficult to see, quite like the very night you'd brought Sloth home. Buccaneer dismounted so that you could, but you hesitated, feeling apprehensive about having to greet your friend not only much later than intended, but with someone who had treated him like an enemy.

Buccaneer gave a serious, impatient look.

" Well? Where is it? Aren't you going to lead me inside? " He said.

You sighed, releasing a large cloud of steam into the frigid night.

" Look... I don't want you to scare him. You're the one who threw him out into the cold, right? You hurt him, when he didn't even know what was going on. If he remembers you, he's not gonna like seeing you here. He's not gonna feel safe unless you make it clear you're not here to do any harm. "

Captain Buccaneer was taken aback by the way you were basically coddling him, surprised that you would speak of that giant, monstrous man as if he were a timid and feeble child. He rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing quite what to say to that.

" Are we talking about the same thing here? The homunculus? "

" Yes. All I ask is that you not be.. confrontational. Please. "

He scoffed, but gave a nod in compliance. Being confrontational was kind of the point in getting information, but you insisted that he play nice, so he supposed he would. Mostly. Uneasy but satisfied with his level of understanding, you came to unlock the barn door and usher your dogs in before beckoning the Captain to enter the warm, dimly lit building.

Sloth was startled upon hearing the commotion that came at the door, sitting up to look back in search of you, bits of hay clinging to him from hours of laying upon them. Staring directly into the fire had made it difficult for his eyes to adjust to the darker half of the barn, so at first he didn't notice the presence of Captain Buccaneer alongside you. He was filled with a feeling of relief and comfort upon seeing you again, reaching a hand out for you as you drew closer. Then the Captain's visage appeared in the light of the fire, and there was fear.

What was he doing? Why would you have brought him here?

His discomfort and upset was visible on his face and he drew back in silence, looking to you for reason and explanation. Seeing him recoil at the sight of Buccaneer only confirmed your suspicions, and it hurt you inside to see him so uneasy.  
Hastily, you tried to mend the situation, approaching your large friend to take his hand reassuringly.

" Hey, hey! It's okay! Buccaneer is a friend. Kind of. He's not here to give you any trouble- see? " You said, waving the Captain closer.

Buccaneer stepped fourth, greeting the homunculus with a rough handshake.

" You remember me, don't you? Don't take the other night too personally- was just doing my duty. You were a tough one to handle." He said, trying not to sound as brusque and severe as usual.

" After we threw you out, someone had come to try and take you, but we didn't know where you went. Consider yourself lucky. You get to stay here with (y/n), so long as you don't cause any problems or make yourself known- in which case, we might not be so friendly. " Buccaneer chuckled darkly, earning a displeased side eye from you.

" He's just here because the General wanted to make sure I was telling the truth when I told her you were here. Everything's fine. Don't worry. "

Sloth said nothing, but relaxed just a little- glad to know that you hadn't turned your back on him, but still uncomfortable in the Captain's presence.

Feeling the need to apologize for being so late to come home, you put your hand on the giant's shoulder and spoke to him gently.

" I'm sorry, for coming home so late. I didn't mean to leave you here by yourself for so long. I had to work and then I got held up at the fortress.. I'll try not to let it happen again, but I hope you understand I wasn't tryn'a abandon you here. " You said earnestly, knowing that he probably hadn't been too happy spending the whole day and then some in confusion and solitude.

Sloth gave a sheepish expression and nodded in acceptance, again surprised by the heartfelt and empathetic words.

Eager for things to stop being so tense, you busied yourself by unleashing your dogs and unloading your sled, carrying the hefty rolls of fur and fabric over to your little workspace aside the cot.

Buccaneer had knelt down to pet some of the dogs that had come up to sniff and greet him, carefully avoiding whacking them with his automail.

" Good animals you've got here. They must be tough if they can work in these conditions just fine. I like that. " He said, letting one jump up to lap at his face.

" Yeah. They're good dogs. Your men seemed to like them too. " You replied, fishing for your box of sewing supplies out of the disorganized barn shelves.

You were unable to reach it once it was in sight, and you struggled for a while before Buccaneer, looming over you, plucked it from it's perch with ease. He popped it open and looked inside before handing it to you.

" Rude! What was that for? "

" Aw quit whining. I got the thing down for you didn't I? Just wanted to make sure you weren't getting any weapons. " Buccaneer said coyly.

You scoffed, clutching the box of supplies as you brought it to your workspace.

" As if. You could at least ask before looking through my things. "

" Sure I could. What's that for anyways? "

" Sewing, Sherlock. What's it to you? "

Buccaneer laughed at the attitude you were giving him, shrugging as he took a seat on your cot while you laid your tools and material out on the floor. This man really had some gall to come into another's home and behave so impolitely. He was a military man, after all, but even so he was being rude.

Shaking your head, you continued your work. With a roll of measuring tape, you came up to Sloth- who had been very still since having been introduced to the captain, but who visibly softened when approached by you.

" Hey, buddy, I'm gonna make something for you that I think you'll like alot- but I gotta get some measurements. Would you hold your arm out for me? " You asked, to which Sloth responded with an outstretched arm.

Reaching up on your tip toes you managed to get the length of his shoulder down to his hand- which was a very impressive wingspan thanks to his proportionally large arms- and around his wrist, which was very wide to match. It was a little more awkward trying to measure the lengths between his shoulders- where you got an up close glimpse of that strange little tattoo that you couldn't help but trace with your fingers. It was even more awkward trying to get the tape around his chest and waist, which required intimately close contact with those huge rippling muscles, not that Sloth seemed to mind, and which garnered amused looks from the Captain as he looked on.

Again you felt warm in the face and thought about that embarrassing conversation you'd had with the General back at Fort Briggs, the conversation that Buccaneer had the pleasure of eavesdropping on with his engineer- but you were just getting distracted at this point. Staying on task would help banish said thoughts.

You were satisfied with your measurements and decided you were done playing tailor for now, and that you should just get to work cutting and stringing your little project together. You could finish it all tonight, if you didn't mind being exhausted at work the next day...

The barn was quiet aside from the crackling of the fire and the clipping of shears on fabric and fur as you worked away, trimming it all into shape. Buccaneer must have been bored, because after a long enough time, he offered to help.

" I see where you're going with this. Mind if I help? " He said, coming to sit down on the floor across from you.

You were surprised by the gesture, but supposed it couldn't hurt. You had him hold pieces of fur lining in place so you could attach them to the shell easily, finding it nice that you didn't have to worry about stabbing his automail hand with the needle. It was, admittedly, easier to work with a second set of hands.

An hour, then another, passed by as you trimmed and sewed and measured and compared, taking a moment to see which fur would look nice with your friend's hair and complexion, actually chatting with the Captain rather than having tense exchanges. It was nice. He even helped pick out a set of buttons that were both visually pleasing and effectively functional. As the final finishing touch, you had made an embroidery patch that matched your friend's tattoo to place in it's respective location on the coat- which had turned out to be.. kind of beautiful. Lined with various wolves pelts with an outer shell of tough black wool with a black leather trim. The thing was huge by the time it was complete, designed to accommodate Sloth's width and stature comfortably, making it much larger than yourself and even bigger than Buccaneer.

After all that work, however, you had succumbed to exhaustion. You still had the needle and embroidery threat in your hands when you slumped over and began to doze. It had taken a moment for your guests to notice, your snoring being the thing that they did.

" Well.. I guess it's time to wrap this up. ( Y/n ) fell asleep even before you did, old boy. " Buccaneer said to Sloth with a chuckle, picking up all the tools and trimmings to put back into your sewing box.

He picked up the finished coat, turning it over in appreciation as he came to present it to Sloth.

" Well, here you go. It's all yours. "

Sloth took it into his hands, running them along the material and fur as if it were a delicate treasure before gingerly pulling it over his shoulders, quietly savoring the bliss of the warm, feather-soft fur.

Buccaneer took into account all that had happened that night. He was of course surprised at the gentility both ( y/n ) and the homunculus had displayed, at how.. domestic their situation was. He didn't know exactly what he had expected when the General sent him out here, but it wasn't this. Even though the Captain valued hardcore survival and manly brotherhood among men, he admitted to himself that what these two had was.. nice. He found himself glad that Olivier allowed them to stay this way.

" You like it? " Buccaneer smiled, watching Sloth enjoy the gift. " Take good care of it, now. "

He then came to pick you up, as you were out cold for the night.

" This too. "

Sloth looked confused.

" ( Y/n ) likes you, you know. " Buccaneer said with an uncharacteristic softness.  
" I know you like 'em too. I can see it in your eyes. You might not know what I mean, but.. you will. " He said, giving a wink as he set you down on the straw bed aside the hearth and tousled Sloth's hair.

He even had the courtesy to feed some logs to the fire before coming to settle down on the cot- your cot, dammit- to sleep for the night.  
Sloth had laid beside you as well, mulling over Buccaneer's words with a lack of complete understanding. He'd laid the coat out to go over you as well, as to not let you sleep in the cold, and Buccaneer slept under his own as well.  
Even as the blizzard raged on outside, all slept in peace, and all was well as the night passed yet again.


End file.
